Netherlands ratifies EU-Ukraine treaty

The Dutch senate approved ratification of the EU-Ukraine free trade and association agreement on Tuesday (30 May), bringing to a close a political saga that started over a year ago when Dutch voters rejected the deal in a referendum.

Almost two-thirds of the senate voted for ratification, with opposition coming mostly from far-left and far-right parties.

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Explanatory declaration

The declaration noted, among other things, that the treaty does not guarantee EU membership to Ukraine, and that the Netherlands is not obliged to provide Ukraine military assistance.

Rutte said that the declaration would address the concerns of the No voters in the referendum, although opposition parties that campaigned against the treaty disagreed – as the treaty itself has not been amended.

With the senate's vote, the ratification process has been completed for the entire EU. However, the treaty had already been applied provisionally.

Meanwhile, the centre-right MP, Buma and his party, failed to become the largest at March's elections. This means he stands little chance of becoming prime minister and can forgo on his promise to "bin" the treaty.

Quick Juncker

The European Commission was quick to respond.

Just minutes after the vote, it sent a press release with a comment from EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, who during the referendum campaign had said a No vote would trigger a “continental crisis”.

"Today's vote in the Dutch senate sends an important signal from the Netherlands and the entire European Union to our Ukrainian friends: Ukraine's place is in Europe," Juncker said on Tuesday.

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